Duke's Kon Knueppel entering 2025 NBA Draft

“Forever a Blue Devil,” he wrote in his Instagram post. “Taking the Brotherhood with me to the next chapter.”

Knueppel was a full-time starter as a freshman on a Duke team that made the Final Four this spring. Across 39 games, he averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steal in 30.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .479/.406/.914.

Although the Blue Devils fell short of the championship game, Knueppel cemented his status as a projected lottery pick with a handful of strong performances in the NCAA Tournament. He scored 20 points vs. Arizona in the Sweet 16 and 21 against Alabama in the Elite Eight. He contributed 16 points and seven rebounds in Duke’s Final Four loss to Houston.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have Knueppel coming off the board at No. 8 in their most recent mock draft, noting that the 19-year-old gave the Blue Devils elite efficiency and spacing as a freshman while also showing more than expected as a play-maker and defender.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report also has Knueppel at No. 8 in his most recent mock draft, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic places him at No. 6.